A04_SOW.pdf

STATEMENT OF WORK

Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge (BANWR)

Tamarisk Clearing Project on USFWS Lands Sasabe, Arizona

June 2023

BACKGROUND

This Statement of Work summarizes the justification and purchase of tamarisk (Tamarix spp.) clearing on PLO 1015 refuge lands administered by the Buenos Aires NWR. Tamarisk removal will support ongoing habitat restoration work on lands impacted by wildfire. Removal will support projects outlined in the Burned Area Restoration Plan, which was drafted and approved in September 2020 for support in rehabilitating the July 2020 Avondale Fire burn scar.

DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT NEEDS

Staff at the Buenos Aires NWR would like to mechanically clear a portion of land that mainly consists of wetland/riparian habitat that has been heavily encroached upon by non-native tamarisk (Tamarix spp.) that will resprout faster and encroach further following the 2020 Avondale Fire. Most of the target vegetation are large mature trees that will require heavy machinery to extract roots to ensure removal. The NWR does not have enough machines or operators to dedicate to this size of project. In order to clear the trees that are located on the areas proposed, a clearing company is needed to do the work. The overall goals are to reduce encroachment and invasion of non-native tamarisk resulting in greater habitat suitability for native riparian species such as cottonwood and willow, subsequently increasing habitat quality for species of concern such as Yellow-Billed Cuckoo, Ridgeway’s Rail, and the South-West Willow Flycatcher. See the attached maps of the proposed work area.

Scope of Work:

The contractor shall provide all personnel, equipment, supplies, facilities, transportation, tools, materials, supervision, and other items and non-personal services necessary to perform mechanical clearing of approximately 17 acres, on Public Land Ordinance 1015, south of Phoenix, AZ which is under management of staff at Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) as defined in this Statement of Work. Except for those items specified as government furnished property and services. The contractor shall perform to the standards in this contract.

The contractor will conduct an initial site visit with refuge staff for access arrangements and to ensure proper identification of each area to be grubbed.

Contractor will then mobilize their heavy equipment (ie: excavators, backhoes, dozers, masticators) to dig up enough of the trees to remove the root mass/ball, in order to minimize potential regrowth. Once the trees have been grubbed, the wood will be masticated or otherwise mulched to provide stabilization for erosion control during and post-removal. Larger wood pieces that cannot be mulched will be placed to block unauthorized entry points if possible.

Soil and ground disturbance is expected due to the nature of removing the root mass/ball, however the contractor should make attempts to fill in, or smooth over the cleared areas to minimize large holes being left behind.

Contractors will comply with any federal, state, or local permitting requirements and attend training sessions for Dust Control permit requirements and any other required trainings or stipulations dictated by permit requirements.

Due to the riparian and sensitive nature of the work area, all efforts are expected to be taken to reduce accidental erosion or other habitat degradation. Therefore, best management practices should be employed to reduce degradation.

Objectives:

• Mechanically remove/grub tamarisk on NWR lands as outlined on th maps attached Removal/grubbing will involve utilizing excavators and digging up enough of the tree to remove the root mass/ball to prevent regrowth.

• Mulch or masticate grubbed wood for use as erosion stabilizer as directed and potentially use larger logs to block unauthorized entry points.

• Fill in or smooth over large holes created from grubbing.

• Comply with required permits including but not limited to: Maricopa County Dust

Control Permit, Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, etc. This may include use of a water trailer to limit dust emissions and required dust control trainings.

Period of Performance:

The period of performance for woody debris removal by heavy equipment shall be October 1, 2023, to March 30, 2024. The project must not interfere with nesting seasons and monsoon seasons and must be fully completed by March 2024.

Nate Barrett 520-993-0229 Nathan_barrett@fws.gov

PROJECT CONTACT:

Questions regarding the scope of work for this purchase shall be directed to:

mailto:Nathan_barrett@fws.gov

Figure 1. PLO 1015, lands owned by USFWS and managed by staff at Buenos Aires NWR circled in red.

PROJECT MAPS:

Figure 2. PLO 1015 with included general treatment area and graphics of ecosystem types within work area. Blue line along S El Mirage Rd shows jersey barriers with entrance points marked with green points.

Figure 3. Potential clearing areas identified by USFWS staff. Total acreage is ~16.79 Acres and easily accessible via S El Mirage Rd.